A pet peeve of mine is people who employ the word "utilize" when they could save a few syllables and use "use." Not that it matters any more, but they aren't the same.
I found this on Dictionary.com
tr.v. u·til·ized, u·til·iz·ing, u·til·iz·es
To put to use, especially to find a profitable or practical use for.
Usage Note: A number of critics have remarked that utilize is an unnecessary substitute for use. It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness, for example, in sentences such as They utilized questionable methods in their analysis or We hope that many commuters will continue to utilize mass transit after the bridge has reopened. But utilize can mean "to find a profitable or practical use for." Thus the sentence The teachers were unable to use the new computers might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction.
Does it matter? Not in the grand scheme of things. Do I care? You bet your fuzzy pink socks I do!
Thank you and goodnight,
Sarah R, Deputy Commander, Vocabulary Police
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